Apparatus for automatically removing irregular yarn

ABSTRACT

This invention is intended to automatically remove irregular synthetic fiber tow if any when the tow is collected into a container during the fiber production operation and to prevent it from being led to such subsequent processes as drawing or heat setting.

United States Patent Eitaro Mukai; Yasuhiro Murase: Tosio Sekiya: Tatsumi Tanabe. all of Ehime-ken. Japan [mentors Appl. No. 813,512 Filed Apr. 4, 1969 Patented June 29,1971 Assignee Teijin Limited Osaka. Japan Priority Apr. 12,1968

Japan 43/24482 APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REMOVING IRREGULAR YARN 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 250/219.

lnt.C1 ..G01b1l/10 [50] FieldofSearch .1 250/2198, 219 DF; 19/159. 160. 239. 246; 28/21; 356/199, 200

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,154,344 4/1939 McGinnis 19/159 3,303,698 2/1967 Loepfe .1 250/219 Primary Examiner-Walter Stolwein Assistant Examiner-M. Abramson ArtorneySherman and Shalloway ABSTRACT: This invention is intended to automatically remove irregular synthetic fiber tow if any when the tow is collected into a container during the fiber production operation and to prevent it from being led to such subsequent processes as drawing or heat setting.

PATENTEU JUN29 l97l SHEET 2 [IF 2 APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REMOVING IRREGULAR YARN This invention relates to methods of collecting synthetic fiber tow into a container, more practically to instantly discover and take out distinguishably the irregular portion of the running tow which is to be collected into a given container if any and to eject it out of system for preventingit from mixing into the final product or proceeding to the subsequent processes.

The irregular portion of a tow designates fuzzing due to broken monofilaments or remarkable reduction in denier. This is very undesirable because of the following unfavorable result; for instance, let continuous filament yarns from several or dozens of spinning positions be grouped into a tow, collected into a containing can, drawn and heat treated. When some yarns from some spinning positions break during the initial spinning operation, the broken ends remaining in the tow proceed to the can.

If part containing the broken ends is drawn, the ends of broken filaments become free, tensionless staying between the feed rollers and the draw rollers, and the end of the broken filaments is not nipped between the drawn rollers. Therefore, without the nip of the said rollers, the broken filaments are not in the drawing condition. Naturally, the denier of this undrawn part of the fiber becomes higher and said part dyes heavier shades. If such a portion is intermingled with the product, the consistency of the product is hurt and the commercial value of the product is remarkably decreased. Hence it is important to discover such a portion containing such broken ends prior to the drawing process and to prevent it from mixing into the product. For this reason, it will be very convenient to have said irregular portions of a tow removed out of the container and easily distinguished when the as-produced tow is collected into a container. According to the process in this invention, a device for detecting the irregularity of the falling tow is disposed; an arm movable in response to said detecting device is located above a container, ejecting the irregular portion of the tow out of the container for distinguishing, while the tow is being collected into the container.

As mentioned above, the object of this invention is to instantly detect an irregularity such as broken filaments in an asproduced synthetic fiber tow, to mechanically take out and to discriminate it so that it can be later handled separately, and to prevent it from being present in the subsequent processes. Another object of this invention is to obtain consistently a predetermined quality product in the succeeding drawing operation by removing the irregular portion of the tow. In order that this invention may be more clearly understood embodiments thereof will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a vertical schematic view of an embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view as seen along the line A-A of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment.

Further, FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a photoelectric detecting device shown in FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. I, tow is fed by gravity in the falling state into a container 2. Said container is given a proper motion to lead the tow uniformly. A photoelectric detecting device is disposed apart from both sides of the tow above said container, said device consisting of light projecting part 3 and light receiving part 4 facing each other to detect the irregularity of tow I, if any. When an irregular portion, for instance, containing broken ends is discovered in tow 1 fed into container 2 in the dangling state, it is necessary to take out said irregular portion from container 2. In this invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, motor 6 is fixed to frame 7 above container 2, said motor being connected with arm 5. Arm is at a standstill around a solid line in the normal condition as shown in FIG. 2, but when the irregular portion of tow l is discovered, motor 6 is provided with electric current, causing arm 5 to move around toward a direction as shown with an arrow up to a point as shown with dotted lines. The irregular tow I is, at that time, hooked with arm 5 and dropped outside container 2. That is, faulty tow I is removed distinguishably to be handled separately. When the inconsistency has disappeared, arm 5 returns to the original position, moving around 360. Then, regular tow 1 is led into container 2. As shown in FIG. 1, a photoelectric detecting device with light projecting part 3 and light receiving part 4 is installed, said light receiving part being composed of phototransistor, converting light received from lightprojecting part 3 into electric current and exciting magnet 11 after the amplification of the electric current with amplifier 10. When normal tow runs, there is much interception of light between light projecting part 3 and light receiving part 4, and therefore the electric current at light receiving part 4 is weak; magnet 11 does not work and switch 12 is open. If said switch 12 is disposed in the circuit of motor 6, motor 12 is at a standstill at the normal condition, but when irregular tow v1 passes, that is, the electric current at light receiving part 4 becomes much more owing to the denier irregularity resulting from broken filaments, magnetll works, switch 12 is closed, motor 6 rotates, and arm 5 goes round. Then, when switch 12 is open, arm 5 will return to the original position. Thus, this device may be optionally designed.

Further, a buzzer may be rung and an alarm lamp may be provided for detecting the irregular portion of the tow. The length of the arm is required to cover the whole opening of the container.

Another embodiment of this invention is described with reference to FIG. 3. In this embodiment, emphasis is specially laid on the uniform collection of tow 1 into container 2. Tow l is fed from above and received into container 2. If tows descending position is kept constant, and the tow is received into container 2 at a given location, tow 1 accumulates in the same place in said container and the coefficient of utility of container 2 lowers. In FIG. 3, to avoid this fault, it is designed to move container 2 back and forth, left and right and to receive tow l uniformly on the base of the container. Container 2 is disposed on endless belt 8 which makes a reciprocating motion with-a predetermined traverse length and in the direction. Endless belt 8 is mounted on another endless'belt 9, the frame of the former being fixed with the upper part of the latter. The latter makes a reciprocating motion having a specified traverse length also. The directions of the two, and N make right angles with each other. The traverse length of endless belt 8 is slightly shorter than the width of container 2 measured by the direction of the reciprocating motion. The reciprocating motions of endless belts 8 and 9 are controlled as follows: In the case of endless belt 8, it is desirable to have as high a reciprocating speed as the operation will allow, but it is essential to set the reciprocat ing speed to the falling speed of tow 1; that is, in order to arrange the falling tow I on the base of container 2 in order, it is desired to feed tow I in exact quantities. Endless belt 9 moves very gradually. Its speed is determined as follows:

As mentioned above, in order to place dangling tow l in good order on the horizontal level in container 2 by the reciprocating motion toward M direction of endless belt 8, it is necessary to transfer container 2 in N direction along the yarn collection operation. That is, when moving endless belt 9 in M direction, it is necessary to transfer endless belt 8 and container 2 in N direction also. Thus, endless belt 9 moves very slowly, and its speed is equivalent to that of one stroke of endless belt 8 placing two lines of tow 1.

Let the time required for one stroke of endless belt 8 be t and the width of two lines of tow 1 side by side be h and the speed of endless belt 9 in M direction be v. The speed of endless belt 9 shall be calculated by the following formula:

v=h/t However, it is desired to have a speed slightly higher than the calculated speed in the actual operation. Under the abovementioned mechanism, the end of tow I is dangled from a specified position into an optional position of container 2 and tow l is laid down in parallel along one wall of container 2 by the reciprocating motion of endless belt 8, with said position being set as the starting point. At this time endless belt 9 begins to move along with the laying down of tow 1. On the home ward motion of endless belt 9, tow 1 is placed on a tier higher up. Endless belt 8 may be run on rail 14, small wheels being attached to its both ends.

In order to carry the present invention into effect in an apparatus for collecting tow 1 into container 2, it is desired to fix frame 7 on endless belt 9, to mount motor 6 on said frame 7, and to take out the irregular portion of tow 1 with arm connected to motor 6. In this case, an apparatus for detecting the irregularity of tow 1 is disposed as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a flowsheet which shows one embodiment of the present invention in collecting a tow into a container by laying together the as-produced continuous filaments from some spinning positions. Filaments l extruded from a plurality of spinnerets are passed through guide roller 9, gathered into a tow 1, led at a constant rate of speed with tension roller as sembly 9, and stored into container 2 with a pair of gear nip reels 9". Below the spinnerets 15 are yarn receiving device 15 disposed. When broken filaments appear during the production operation, they are accumulated on this yarn receiver 15 Here is disposed a photoelectric detecting device utilizing the interception of light by the piled yarns in the following way: Light projecting part 3 and light receiving part 4 are disposed above yarn receiving device 15 with filaments as produced from several spinning positions interposed between the parts. The alignment with light projecting part 3 and light receiving part 4 is slightly apart from the path of filaments 1' normally produced. In the normal condition there is nothing to intercept light, but when subsequent filaments due to broken filaments accumulate on yarn receiving device 15', they intercept the light, resulting in the amount of light received being reduced. Container 2, motor 6 and arm 5 are disposed apart from the photoelectric detecting device in FIG. 4. When the amount of light received at light receiving part 4, electric currents stop and magnet 11 is not excited. Then switch 12 is closed and motor 6 starts to work, causing arm 5 to rotate and to eject the irregular portion of tow containing broken ends out of container 2. A parallel is drawn between FIGS. 1 and 4. In FIG. 1, when the excitement of magnet 11 is weak, switch 12 is open, and when the irregularity of the tow is discovered, magnet 11 is strongly excited and switch 12 is closed. In FIG. 4, magnet 11 works to the contrary as compared with that of FIG. 1, but the alteration of switch mechanism can make attainable a predetermined object.

In the above, it has been explained that a container makes proper motion when a tow falls from a predetermined position, thus collecting the tow into the container uniformly. In this invention, however, tow may be moved in circular motion, or back and forth, left and right, and then collected uniformly into container, while the container is at a standstill.

The efiect of the present invention may be clearly understood if a case without the inventive device is considered. For instance, when a tow containing partially broken filaments without the ejection of said filaments is fed into the subsequent drawing process, the broken filaments are not drawn, are heavier in denier, and dyes heavier shades, if dyed. The commercial value of the products is much decreased. Such fault can be easily distinguished, and surely removed by this invention. In addition, since the irregular portion of the tow is outside the container, the removal operation of said portion is very simple.

The process in the present invention readily prevents the irregular portion of tow from remaining in the products and proceeding to the subsequent processes by automatically and accurately ejecting said irregularities outside a container during the tow storage in the container.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for automatically removing irregular yarn including container means for receiving yarn;

a supply of yarn spaced from said container means for supplyin said yarn thereto; photoe ectrtc detection means tainer means and said supply;

motor means disposed between said container means and said photoelectric detection means and including an arm movable through a path intersecting the path of said yarn between said supply and said container means; and

control means responsive to said photoelectric detection means to actuate said motor means when irregular yarn is sensed to move said arm through said intersecting path whereby irregular yarn is automatically prevented from being received by said container means.

2. The invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said container means includes a container disposed on a first conveyor having a reciprocating motion of predetermined traverse length, a frame supporting said conveyor, and a second conveyor disposed transversely of said first conveyor and attached to said frame, said second conveyor having a reciprocating motion of predetermined traverse length.

3. The invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said supply includes a plurality of spinnerets, and further comprising a yarn receiving device disposed below each of said spinnerets and guide means receiving said yarn from said devices and forming a fiber tow, said photoelectric detection means being aligned with said yarn receiving devices to detect the accumulation of irregular yarn thereon, and said motor means being disposed between said guide means and said container with said arm movable to move said fiber tow to a position outside of said container when irregular yarns are detected.

disposed between said con- 

1. Apparatus for automatically removing irregular yarn including container means for receiving yarn; a supply of yarn spaced from said container means for supplying said yarn thereto; photoelectric detection means disposed between said container means and said supply; motor means disposed between said container means and said photoelectric detection means and including an arm movable through a path intersecting the path of said yarn between said supply and said container means; and control means responsive to said photoelectric detection means to actuate said motor means when irregular yarn is sensed to move said arm through said intersecting path whereby irregular yarn is automatically prevented from being received by said container means.
 2. The invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said container means includes a container disposed on a first conveyor having a reciprocating motion of predetermined traverse length, a frame supporting said conveyor, and a second conveyor disposed transversely of said first conveyor and attached to said frame, said second conveyor having a reciprocating motion of predetermined traverse length.
 3. The invention as recited in claim 1 wherein said supply includes a plurality of spinnerets, and further comprising a yarn receiving device disposed below each of said spinnerets and guide means receiving said yarn from said devices and forming a fiber tow, said photoelectric detection means being aligned with said yarn receiving devices to detect the accumulation of irregular yarn thereon, and said motor means being disposed between said guide means and said container with said arm movable to move said fiber tow to a position outside of said container when irregular yarns are detected. 